Businesses object to new median
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer
HAWAI'I KAI — New criticism has emerged about the city's median strip under construction on Lunalilo Home Road, with some business owners saying it will hinder customer access.
The median will prevent left turns into the Hawai'i Kai Baptist Childcare Center, the Union 76 gas station and the Hawaii National Bank building, home to dentists and other businesses.
City Councilman Charles Djou and some business owners have suggested the city shorten the median strip by about 10 feet, which would mean it would begin after the driveways into these businesses. The median does not limit access into nearby Koko Marina Center.
But city officials say motorists can detour around the median by driving about a quarter-mile and that the effect on the businesses, church and drivers is minimal.
The roughly half-mile of median runs from Kalaniana'ole Highway to Kalakua Street.
"The median will not be moved or abandoned in that area," said Tim Steinberger, director of the city Department of Design and Construction. "We have told the businesses that we won't make any changes. The engineers have determined that there is no need to move the median.
"Their concerns have been addressed, as far as we're concerned."
The city's median project has drawn fire from the community and area politicians who have said they oppose the project because the city is experiencing serious fiscal problems. The median is costing taxpayers $1.2 million to design, build and landscape with 52 trees.
Randy Amine, owner of the Union 76 station on Lunalilo Home Road next to the entrance to Koko Marina Center, said the median poses safety concerns by being so close to the businesses. Gas-delivery trucks can barely make the turn into and out of his station, he said.
"Businesses like ours rely upon the ease of ingress and egress," Amine said. "We've been trying to fight this. We've contacted the mayor on his talk radio show and called the city several times.
"The city doesn't care about small business."
Next door, Hawaii National Bank expressed similar concerns for its customers having to drive out of their way to get to the bank and other businesses in the professional plaza. In a letter to Djou's office, Gilbert Shimatsu, Hawaii National Bank assistant vice president, said "there seems to be no engineering or business logic" for building a landscaped median in front of these businesses.
"No other business location is impacted in such a detrimental manner," Shimatsu said. "A simple solution is available but apparently not explored ... to begin the median after the end of the business area."
The city has said the median will improve the look of an arid section of the community and will help reduce speeding. But residents have complained that once all the new homes being built are occupied— resulting in more people and more cars — the median will create a bigger traffic problem than it will solve.
Lunalilo Home Road now is two lanes in each direction, with street parking on both sides. The landscaped median narrows the road to one lane in each direction and parking on each side.
"I continue to have strong opposition to this project," Djou said. "It's nice to have, but with the budget the way it is, it's unnecessary. And now the project is going to be harmful to the businesses."
Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.
